FR Doc 2011-6138[Federal Register: March 16, 2011 (Volume 76, Number 51)]
[Notices]
[Page 14379-14385]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16mr11-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Advanced Placement Incentive Program; Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education; Overview Information; Advanced Placement Incentive
Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
(FY) 2011
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.330C.
DATES:
Applications Available: March 16, 2011.
[[Page 14380]]
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 15, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 2011.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 14, 2011.
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The Advanced Placement Incentive (API) program
awards competitive grants designed to increase the successful
participation of low-income students in advanced placement courses and
tests. The program expands opportunities for low-income students to
take college-level classes and earn college credit while still in high
school. The program also supports efforts to raise the rigor of the
academic curriculum for all students attending high-poverty schools.
Priorities: This competition includes two absolute priorities and
one competitive preference priority.
Absolute Priority 1: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics (STEM) Education and the competitive preference
priority are from the notice of final supplemental priorities and
definitions for discretionary grant programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486) (2010 NFP). In accordance
with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), Absolute Priority 2: Expanding Access for
Low-Income Individuals to Advanced Placement Programs is from section
1705(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
amended (ESEA), 20 U.S.C 6535(c).
Absolute Priorities: For FY 2011 and any subsequent year in which
we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from this
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet these priorities.
These priorities are:
Absolute Priority 1: Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) Education
Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
Providing students with increased access to rigorous and engaging
coursework in STEM.
Note: The Advanced Placement Incentive program is designed to
increase successful participation of low-income students in advanced
placement courses and tests. Consequently, in responding to this
priority, applicants must demonstrate how the project is designed to
increase the access of low-income students to rigorous and engaging
pre-advanced placement and advanced placement coursework in STEM.
Absolute Priority 2: Expanding Access for Low-Income Individuals to
Advanced Placement Programs
This priority supports projects that expand access for low-income
individuals to advanced placement programs by--
(1) Demonstrating an intent to carry out activities that target
schools with a high concentration of low-income students (as defined in
the notice) or local educational agencies (LEAs) serving schools with a
high concentration of low-income students;
(2) Demonstrating a pervasive need for access to advanced placement
incentive programs;
(3) Demonstrating a focus on developing or expanding advanced
placement programs and participation in the core academic areas of
English, mathematics, and science;
(4) Involving business and community organizations in the
activities to be assisted;
(5) Assuring the availability of matching funds from State, local,
or other sources to pay for the costs of activities to be assisted; and
(6) Demonstrating an intent to carry out activities to increase the
availability of, and participation in, on-line advanced placement
courses.
Note: In responding to this absolute priority, an application
must--
(1) Identify the specific schools (both middle and high schools)
that would receive project services, and provide evidence that each
school currently (i.e., during the 2010-11 school year) has a high
concentration of low-income students; and
(2) Identify the amount and sources of matching funds.
Consistent with 20 U.S.C. 6536, matching contributions under the API
program must be resources that add ``new monies'' to an applicant's
current level of funding for advanced placement activities.
Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2011 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from
this competition, this priority is a competitive preference priority.
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we award an additional five points to an
application that meets this priority.
This priority is:
Turning Around Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools
Projects that are designed to address the following priority area:
Providing services to students enrolled in persistently lowest-
achieving schools (as defined in this notice).
Note: To meet this competitive preference priority, the
applicant must provide evidence in its application that its proposed
project will serve one or more persistently lowest-achieving
schools.
Definitions: The following definitions are taken from the API
program authorizing statute in section 1707 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C.
6537) and the 2010 NFP.
Advanced placement test means an advanced placement test
administered by the College Board or approved by the Secretary (20
U.S.C. 6537).
Note: The Secretary approves as advanced placement tests
International Diploma Programme examinations administered by the
International Baccalaureate Organization, and Cambridge
International A and AS Levels administered by Cambridge University
International Examinations. As part of the grant application
process, applicants may request approval of tests from other
educational entities that provide comparable programs of rigorous
academic courses and testing through which students may earn college
credit.
High concentration of low-income students, used with respect to a
school, means a school that serves a student population 40 percent or
more of whom are low-income individuals (20 U.S.C. 6537).
Low-income individual means an individual who is determined by a
State educational agency (SEA) or LEA to be a child, ages 5 through 19,
from a low-income family, on the basis of data used by the Secretary to
determine allocations under section 1124 of the ESEA, data on children
eligible for free or reduced-price lunches under the National School
Lunch Act, data on children in families receiving assistance under Part
A of title IV of the Social Security Act, or data on children eligible
to receive medical assistance under the medicaid program under title
XIX of the Social Security Act, or through an alternate method that
combines or extrapolates from those data (20 U.S.C. 6537).
Persistently lowest-achieving schools means, as determined by the
State: (i) Any Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or
restructuring that (a) is among the lowest-achieving five percent of
Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring or
the lowest-achieving five Title I schools in improvement, corrective
action, or restructuring in the State, whichever number of schools is
greater; or (b) is a high school that has had a graduation rate as
defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent over a number
of years; and (ii) any secondary school that is eligible for, but does
not receive, Title I funds that: (a) Is among the lowest-achieving five
percent of secondary schools or the lowest-achieving five secondary
schools
[[Page 14381]]
in the State that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds,
whichever number of schools is greater; or (b) is a high school that
has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less
than 60 percent over a number of years.
To identify the persistently lowest achieving schools, a State must
take into account both: (i) The academic achievement of the ``all
students'' group in a school in terms of proficiency on the State's
assessments under section 1111(b)(3) of the ESEA in reading/language
arts and mathematics combined; and (ii) the school's lack of progress
on those assessments over a number of years in the ``all students''
group (NFP 2010).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 6531-6532; 6535-6537.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80,
81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, and 99. (b) The notice of final supplemental
priorities and definitions for discretionary grant programs published
in the Federal Register on December 15, 2010 (75 FR 78486).
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: The Administration's budget request for
FY 2011 does not include funds for this program. In place of this and
several other narrowly targeted programs that seek to improve student
achievement in high schools or provide an accelerated curriculum, the
Administration has proposed to create, through the reauthorization of
the ESEA reauthorization, a broader program, College Pathways and
Accelerated Learning, that would support efforts to increase
preparation for college matriculation and success through the
introduction of advanced courses in high-poverty middle and high
schools as well as other accelerated curriculum options (such as dual
high school/college enrollment and early college schools) in those
schools. However, we are inviting applications for the API program to
allow enough time to complete the grant process if Congress
appropriates funds for this program.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2012 from the list of
unfunded applicants from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$650,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $425,000.
Maximum Award: We will reject any application that proposes a
budget exceeding $650,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change
the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.
Estimated Number of Awards: 17.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this
notice.
Project Period: Up to 36 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
(a) SEAs;
(b) LEAs, including charter schools that are considered LEAs under
State law; or
(c) National nonprofit educational entities with expertise in
advanced placement services.
Note: In the case of an eligible entity that is an SEA, the SEA
may use API grant funds to award subgrants to LEAs to enable those
LEAs to carry out authorized activities that support the absolute
priorities for this competition.
2.a. Cost Sharing or Matching: In order to meet Absolute Priority
2: Expanding Access for Low-Income Individuals to Advanced Placement
Programs for this competition, an applicant must provide matching funds
from State, local, or other sources to pay for the costs of activities
to be assisted.
b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. Funds provided under this program must
be used only to supplement, and not supplant, other non-Federal funds
that are available to assist low-income individuals to pay for the cost
of advanced placement test fees or to expand access to advanced
placement or pre-advanced placement courses (20 U.S.C. 6536). This
restriction also has the effect of allowing projects to recover
indirect costs only on the basis of a restricted indirect cost rate,
according to the requirements in 34 CFR 75.563 and 34 CFR 76.564
through 76.569.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain an
application package via the Internet, or from the program office.
To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address:
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html.
To obtain a copy from the program office, contact: Ivonne Jaime,
U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ Building,
Room 3E310, Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 260-1519 or by
e-mail: AdvancedPlacementProgram@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at: 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the application
package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape,
or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed
in this section.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you
must submit, are in the application package for this program.
Notice of Intent to Apply: We will be able to develop a more
efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we have a better
understanding of the number of entities that intend to apply for
funding. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to
send a notification of its intent to apply for funding to
AdvancedPlacementProgram@ed.gov by April 15, 2011. The notification of
intent to apply for funding is optional. Applicants that do not supply
this e-mail notification may still apply for funding.
Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the applicant,
address the selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your
application. We encourage you to limit the narrative to the equivalent
of no more than 40 pages and suggest that you use the following
standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative. Titles, headings, footnotes,
quotations, references, and captions, as well as text in charts,
tables, figures, and graphs, can be single spaced.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
Number all pages consecutively using the style 1 of 40, 2
of 40, and so forth.
Include a table of contents with page references.
The suggested page limit does not apply to the table of contents;
forms; the budget section, including the narrative budget
justification; the assurances and certifications; the one-page
abstract; the resumes; or the letters of support.
[[Page 14382]]
However, the suggested page limit does apply to all of the application
narrative section. We further encourage applicants to limit to no more
than 20 pages any attachments or appendices that are not resumes or
letters of support.
3. Submission Dates and Times:
Applications Available: March 16, 2011.
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply: April 15, 2011.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 2011.
Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted
electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site (Grants.gov). For
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your
application electronically, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, please refer to section IV. 7. Other Submission
Requirements of this notice.
We do not consider an application that does not comply with the
deadline requirements.
Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or
auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should contact
the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII
of this notice. If the Department provides an accommodation or
auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability in connection with the
application process, the individual's application remains subject to
all other requirements and limitations in this notice.
Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 14, 2011.
4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer Identification
Number, and Central Contractor Registry: To do business with the
Department of Education, you must--
a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a
Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);
b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the Central
Contractor Registry (CCR), the Government's primary registrant
database;
c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and
d. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information
while your application is under review by the Department and, if you
are awarded a grant, during the project period.
You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS number
can be created within one business day.
If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or
organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration. If you need a
new TIN, please allow 2-5 weeks for your TIN to become active.
The CCR registration process may take five or more business days to
complete. If you are currently registered with the CCR, you may not
need to make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN
associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you will
need to update your CCR registration on an annual basis. This may take
three or more business days to complete.
In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov,
you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR); and (2) register yourself with
Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined in the
Grants.gov 3-Step Registration Guide (see
http://www.grants.gov/section910/Grants.govRegistrationBrochure.pdf).
7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under
this competition must be submitted electronically unless you qualify
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the
instructions in this section.
a. Electronic Submission of Applications
Applications for grants under the API program, CFDA number 84.330C,
must be submitted electronically using the Governmentwide Grants.gov
Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through this site, you will be able to
download a copy of the application package, complete it offline, and
then upload and submit your application. You may not e-mail an
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these
exceptions. Further information regarding calculation of the date that
is two weeks before the application deadline date is provided later in
this section under Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.
You may access the electronic grant application for the API program
at http://www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable
application package for this program by the CFDA number. Do not include
the CFDA number's alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.330,
not 84.330C).
Please note the following:
When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find
information about submitting an application electronically through the
site, as well as the hours of operation.
Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time
stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must
be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. Except as
otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if
it is received--that is, date and time stamped by the Grants.gov
system--after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application
deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply
with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from
Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application
because it was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after
4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.
The amount of time it can take to upload an application
will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the
application and the speed of your Internet connection. Therefore, we
strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline
date to begin the submission process through Grants.gov.
You should review and follow the Education Submission
Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are
included in the application package for this program to ensure that you
submit your application in a timely manner to the Grants.gov system.
You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to
Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department's G5 system home
page at http://www.G5.gov.
You will not receive additional point value because you
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you
if you qualify for an exception to the electronic
[[Page 14383]]
submission requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and
submit your application in paper format.
You must submit all documents electronically, including
all information you typically provide on the following forms: the
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of
Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and
certifications.
You must upload any narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files in a .PDF (Portable Document)
format only. If you upload a file type other than a .PDF or submit a
password-protected file, we will not review that material.
Your electronic application must comply with any page-
limit requirements described in this notice.
After you electronically submit your application, you will
receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that
contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates
receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the Department.) The
Department then will retrieve your application from Grants.gov and send
a second notification to you by e-mail. This second notification
indicates that the Department has received your application and has
assigned your application a PR/Award number (an ED-specified
identifying number unique to your application).
We may request that you provide us original signatures on
forms at a later date.
Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues
with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems submitting
your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov
Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must obtain a
Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.
If you are prevented from electronically submitting your
application on the application deadline date because of technical
problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an extension
until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following business day to
enable you to transmit your application electronically or by hand
delivery. You also may mail your application by following the mailing
instructions described elsewhere in this notice.
If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC
time, on the application deadline date, please contact the person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this
notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem you
experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk
Case Number. We will accept your application if we can confirm that a
technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov system and that that
problem affected your ability to submit your application by 4:30:00
p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. The
Department will contact you after a determination is made on whether
your application will be accepted.
Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply
only to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the
Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you failed
to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before
the application deadline date and time or if the technical problem
you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.
Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application
through the Grants.gov system because--
You do not have access to the Internet; or
You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to
the Grants.gov system; and
No later than two weeks before the application deadline
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application.
If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must be
postmarked no later than two weeks before the application deadline
date. If you fax your written statement to the Department, we must
receive the faxed statement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date.
Address and mail or fax your statement to: Ivonne Jaime, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E310,
Washington, DC 20202-4260. FAX: (202) 205-4921.
Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.
b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center,
Attention: (CFDA Number 84.330C) LBJ Basement Level 1, 400 Maryland
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260.
You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:
(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.
(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the
U.S. Postal Service.
(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial
carrier.
(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the
U.S. Department of Education.
If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
(1) A private metered postmark.
(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
If your application is postmarked after the application deadline
date, we will not consider your application.
Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a
dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with
your local post office.
c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery
If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original
and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention:
(CFDA Number 84.330C), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between
8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays,
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you
mail or hand deliver your application to the Department--
(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by
the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including
suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are
submitting your application; and
(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a
notification of receipt of your
[[Page 14384]]
grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15
business days from the application deadline date, you should call
the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202)
245-6288.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and, where otherwise noted, sections 1702 and
1705 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 6532 and 6535) and are listed in the
following paragraphs.
Note: The maximum score for all selection criteria is 95 points.
The points assigned to each criterion or subcriterion are indicated
in parentheses.
Need for the Project
In determining the need for the proposed project, we will consider
the extent to which the application demonstrates a pervasive need for
access to advanced placement incentive programs by low-income
individuals (10 points) (20 U.S.C. 6535(c)(1)).
Quality of Project Design
In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project,
we will consider the following factors:
(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable
(10 points).
(2) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates a focus
on developing or expanding advanced placement programs and
participation in the core academic areas of English, mathematics, and
science (15 points) (20 U.S.C. 6532(c)(4).
(3) The extent to which the proposed project will expand access to
and participation in advanced placement incentive programs,
particularly for low-income individuals (10 points) (20 U.S.C.
6535(d)(F)).
(4) The extent to which the proposed project will increase the
numbers of students who receive advanced placement test scores for
which college academic credit is awarded (10 points) (20 U.S.C.
6532(7)).
(5) The extent to which the proposed project is part of a
comprehensive effort to improve teaching and learning and support
rigorous academic standards for students (15 points).
Quality of the Management Plan
In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed
project, we will consider the following factors:
(1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives
of the proposed project on time and within budget, including clearly
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing
project tasks (10 points).
(2) The extent to which the time commitments of the project
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project
(5 points).
(3) Consistent with 34 CFR 75.209(a)(1)(iv), the extent to which
the applicant demonstrates that it will have the capacity to report
annually the data required by section 1705(f) of the ESEA and section
VI. 5. (Performance Measures) of this notice (10 points).
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
of Education (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Special Conditions: Under 34 CFR 74.14 and 80.12, the Secretary
may impose special conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is
not financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;
has a financial or other management system that does not meet the
standards in 34 CFR parts 74 or 80, as applicable; has not fulfilled
the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN). We may notify you informally, also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify
administrative and national policy requirements in the application
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable
Regulations section in this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Transparency: After awards are made under this competition, all
of the applications selected for funding, together with reviewer scores
and comments for those applications, will be posted on the Department's
Web site.
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
5. Performance Measures: The Department has established two
performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the API program
in improving the successful participation in advanced placement courses
and tests by students attending public high schools served by API
grants. These measures are:
(1) The ratio of Advanced Placement (AP), International
Baccalaureate (IB), and other advanced placement tests recognized by
the Secretary taken in public high schools served by API grants to the
number of seniors enrolled at those high schools.
(2) The ratio of AP, IB, and other approved advanced placement
tests passed (AP tests receiving scores of 3 or higher, IB tests
receiving scores of 4 or higher, or other advanced placement tests
receiving equivalent scores) by low-income students in public high
schools served by API grants to the number of low-income seniors
enrolled at those schools.
These measures constitute the Department's measures of success for
this program. Consequently, applicants for a grant under this program
are
[[Page 14385]]
advised to give careful consideration to these measures in identifying
their goals and objectives and conceptualizing the approach and
evaluation of their proposed projects. If funded, applicants will be
asked to collect and report data in their performance and final reports
about progress with respect to these measures. In addition, applicants
will also be asked to collect and report data in their performance and
final reports on the statutorily mandated reporting requirements
outlined in section 1705(f) of the ESEA.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award, the
Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.253, the extent to which a
grantee has made ``substantial progress toward meeting the objectives
in its approved application.'' This consideration includes the review
of a grantee's progress in meeting the targets and projected outcomes
in its approved application, and whether the grantee has expended funds
in a manner that is consistent with its approved application and
budget. In making a continuation grant, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
7. Grant Administration: Projects funded under this competition are
encouraged to budget for a two-day meeting for project directors to be
held annually in Washington, DC.
VII. Agency Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ivonne Jaime, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ Building, room 3E310,
Washington, DC 20202-6200. Telephone: (202) 260-1519 or by e-mail:
AdvancedPlacementProgram@ed.gov.
If you use a TDD, call the FRS, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
VIII. Other Information
Alternative Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on
request to the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT in section VII of this notice.
Electronic Access to This Document: You can view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in extr Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet
at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister. To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this
site.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System at:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys.
Dated: March 11, 2011.
Thelma Mel[eacute]ndez de Santa Ana,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2011-6138 Filed 3-15-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P